Portland schools reach tentative deal on teacher hires, assignments

Portland Public Schools has reached a tentative agreement with its teachers on an issue that has been contentious for at least a decade.

Portland begins hiring and transferring teachers in spring along with many area districts. However, it doesn't conclude internal transfers until mid-August and continues filling positions through the start of school.

Audits, studies and district officials said the drawn-out process, known as Article 10, often hinders the district's ability to compete for the best candidates in the metropolitan area.

But a new agreement, which could be approved by teachers as early as Monday, may improve the hiring, assignment and transfer experience for both sides.

Sources say the new agreement would allow outside candidates to compete for jobs in the district earlier in the process and would provide assurances that current employees wouldn't be left without a job. It also would ensure that vacant positions would be listed in a timely fashion and would give administrators more opportunity to consider internal and external candidates for open jobs.

Additional details will be publicly released next week.

In an earlier article, district officials said it was tough to shorten the nearly six-month hiring process without changes to the current teacher contract language. Teachers within the district could apply for open positions until 10 days before teachers must return to the classroom in the fall. District officials said the constant movement often leaves the district filling new vacancies through August and the start of the school year.

Portland Public Schools has wanted to discuss its policy for several years with the teachers union. In 2003, city and county officials pressured the district to back away from it as they worked to cope with a funding crisis and avoid a teacher strike.

The district and union members formed a committee to look more closely at this issue after the 2003 negotiations but little progress was made. In 2006, the committee laid out new guidelines.

The potential agreement is the result of the committee's ongoing work. Official contract talks between the union and the district aren't expected to begin until later this spring.